Chapter 109-One less friend

Chapter 109: 109-One less friend

"Why is that, Maisa?"

Maisa’s breathing stopped. She remembered the moment quite clearly now that her head was clear. Zolani’s hand slipping from hers, her frozen expression and the pain in her eyes when she did.

But then the blood rain had started hurting Maisa so badly that she had been unable to focus on anything else.

Afterward, everything had happened so quickly. She hadn’t even noticed Zolani disappearing from her side and the girl too had said nothing to her.

Addessa continued. "And now?" She gestured toward the empty path. "She’s nowhere to be seen."

Maisa’s heart began beating faster. Indeed, it was unlike Zolani to vanish from her side. The mixedblood wasn’t the type to leave just because she survived the trial, no. She would stay and make sure she’s alright.

’Maybe she went to get me some blood to re-energize?’

"Where is she?" Addessa’s smile widened as she inquired, knowing full well that Zolani had left and wouldn’t return any time soon.

Maisa had no reply to that question. She truly wished she knew that answer, it was the least she can do for Zolani who had done so for her a million times over in the past.

"You should know that Zolani met with Primrose," she paused, drawing Maisa’s interest. "She requested indefinite leave from school."

Maisa went still. That was news to her, Zolani hadn’t mentioned having an emergency or needing to take leave from school to her. "What?"

Addessa tilted her head, studying Maisa with an expression that was almost too calm for the tension hanging between them. A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I wonder..." she murmured.

She leaned closer, lowering her voice as though she were about to reveal a secret.

"What happened in that circle that made Zolani want to stay as far away from you as possible?"

The question struck Maisa differently this time. A terrible feeling settled heavily in her stomach.

She refused to give Addessa the satisfaction of seeing her react. Instead, she immediately reached for the blood mirror tucked among her belongings and pulled it free. Her fingers were already trembling before she even activated it.

"Come on," she whispered.

The surface of the mirror shimmered, crimson light spreading across the glass as she summoned the communication interface. Her eyes quickly scanned the names until she found the one she wanted, Zolani.

Maisa selected it. The mirror glowed as the call connected and then it began to ring. Once, twice... Maisa held her breath, staring at the shimmering surface as she waited for Zolani’s face to appear.

The ringing continued for several minutes before abruptly stopping. The call disconnected.

Maisa froze as her eyes remained fixed on the mirror. Why won’t she answer?

She immediately tried again and the same thing happened. The call connected, it rang and rang and then got disconnected.

"No... Pick up, Zolani," her voice came out barely above a whisper.

She tried a third time and then a fourth and each attempt ended the same way with Zolani not picking her calls.

Maisa’s grip tightened around the blood mirror until her fingers hurt. Her heart began beating faster, every unanswered call feeding the dreadful sensation crawling through her chest.

Something was wrong, it had to be. The Zolani she knew would never simply ignore her not after everything they’d been through.

Zolani had stood beside her when everyone else had been willing to let her face the blood trial alone. She always held her hand, being very supportive and kind of her and she had promised that Maisa wouldn’t have to face everything by herself.

So why wasn’t she answering now?

Maisa stared at the silent mirror, panic steadily replacing confusion. "Zolani..." she whispered.

For a moment since the call began, the thought entered her mind that perhaps Zolani wasn’t ignoring her at all, perhaps she couldn’t answer due to unforseen circumstances and Addessa was simply stirring up trouble to mess with her.

"She’s probably upset," Maisa whispered after giving it a minute of thought. Her voice cracked slightly. "Maybe because I didn’t respond."

Addessa watched her. She got curious about what response Maisa hadnt given Zolani, "Respond to what?"

Maisa didn’t answer her. In her heart, she thought about the confession. Zolani’s love confession and thought that maybe Zolani misunderstood her silence... maybe she’d thought Maisa rejected her.

Addessa laughed. Her laughter broke the tense silence between them. "Call not going through?"

Maisa glared at her. Her eyes burning through Addessa’s skin. She truly wanted to put distance between her and the blackblood, the girl was too terrifying and too good at playing a villainous role.

Addessa pulled out her own blood mirror. "Allow me to give it a try."

She selected Zolani’s name and made the call. The call connected almost immediately.

Maisa’s heart jumped.

Zolani answered on the other end. "What do you want, Addessa?" Her voice sounded exhausted. "I’m not really in the mood to talk."

Addessa threw a mocking smile toward Maisa. She raised an eyebrow and waved the mirror in Maisa’s face to rub salt in her wounds.

"I know you hate me for what I did to Maisa," she begum, feigning sadness.

Maisa stared at the mirror and then at Addessa who seemed to be upto no good. She still didn’t know what was going on.

Addessa continued. "I just wanted to give you a heads-up, Zo," her tone became deliberately casual. "I’m not going to stop until I ruin her."

Zolani was silent but Addessa ignored it and continued. "So... if you mean to stand with her..."

"You want to ruin her?" Zolani interrupted.

Addessa’s eyebrows lifted. She activated the speaker. "Yes."

There was a long silence. Maisa held her breath. Surely Zolani would scold Addessa and stand firm in her decision to be by her side through everything. She anticipated the look of disappointment in Addessa’s face when Zolani proved that their bond, however short built, was unbreakable.

Zolani’s voice finally came through. "Make it hurt far worse than a blood trial!"

Maisa’s face went blank. She blinked, staring at the screen of the mirror with disbelief. There was a sharp ringing in her ears as she replayed Zolani’s words, it felt like a knife, driven directly into her heart at close range.

Zolani continued. "And if you need help..." her voice was filled with hatred. "I’m at your disposal once I return," she said and cut the call.

The call ended and a heavy silence settled afterwards. Addessa slowly lowered her blood mirror and then she looked at Maisa.

Hahaha. Hahaha. Hahaha.

A laugh escaped her lips. "One less friend by your side, no?" She continued laughing victoriously.

Maisa couldn’t speak. Her skin still itched from the hatred she felt in Zolani’s voice towards her. The itch crept underneath her skin and became worse and worse with each passing second.

Addessa tilted her head. "Are you sure this is just a minor setback?"

Maisa stood completely still. Her mind refused to process what had just happened.

Zolani had held her hand, promised to protect her and even professed her love and now, the same girl wanted to help Addessa destroy her.

Addessa stepped closer to her, eyes glowing with curiosity. "I’m really curious, Maisa," her voice dropped. "What happened in that circle?"

Maisa stared at the road where Zolani had disappeared. She couldn’t answer because she also didn’t understand what went wrong.

How could everything have changed so quickly? How could a confession of love become hatred in the space of a single trial?

Somewhere deep inside her, beneath the exhaustion and fear, another thought began to form. A thought far more terrifying than anything Addessa had said.

Lumi had informed her before the trial that the trial blood sometimes played ones sins in their eyes, revealing the reason for punishment. Could Zolani have seen something in her eyes?

Maisa’s blood ran cold. She looked down at her hands, she wondered what the blood rain had actually displayed in her eyes... what sin she had been punished for and why Zolani had looked at her as though she were no longer Maisa at all but a complete stranger.

"I’ll find out sooner or later, after all, our interests to ruin your are aligned, Zolani is bound to tell me why she suddenly hates you so much," Addessa said, she locked her bracelet and once the super-hearing barrier faded, she walked away. "Onwards to ruin, Maisa Loven!" She cheered without turning back.